


Happiness Is...

by Ninja_Librarian



Series: Keith Family Week 2018 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: And they're all cute, Autistic Keith (Voltron), Autistic Original Character, Babies, Both are implied but still, Day 1: Lost/Found, F/M, In which Keith and Lance adopted a bunch of kiddos, Keith Family Week, M/M, Post canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 20:02:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16353341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninja_Librarian/pseuds/Ninja_Librarian
Summary: Day 1: Lost/FoundA new member of the family is welcomed, and Keith reflects.





	Happiness Is...

Keith smiled as he felt Theo slip onto the couch and curl up into his side. Keith gently wrapped an arm around him, running a hand through his son’s soft curls.

“What’s up, bud?” He asked softly. “You just need a moment?”

Theo nodded, his big brown eyes wandering around the living room full of people.

“You want to go to your room?” Keith asked, to which he got a shake of the head for no. “Just wanted to cuddle with Dad?”

A nod.

“Alright.” Keith said. “Do you want me to move my hand?”

Theo’s response was to reach up and grab hold of Keith’s wrist before he could move his hand. Keith’s smile grew at that.

He enjoyed that moment of quiet, he and Theo in their own little bubble in the crowded room. Usually, Keith—like Theo—shied away from crowds; too loud and unpredictable. But he didn’t mind when he was in a room full of all of his favorite people.

Shiro sat on the couch opposite Keith, his infant daughter Hoshi in his arms and happily sucking on a bottle, her small kicks becoming more and more infrequent as she drifted to sleep. Hoshi’s twin, Hikaru, was currently asleep against his Grandpa Holt’s shoulder, snoring lightly. Both Shiro and Commander Holt were grayer and more lined beyond their years, but both were very happy, chatting with Coran and Lance’s father.

Across the room, Pidge sat on the floor with Riley and Max—two more of Keith’s—along with one of Lance’s nieces, playing a video game. Judging by the younger three’s groans, Pidge was beating them, no doubt using cheat codes of some sort, and enjoying her momentary break from mommy duty. Though Keith saw how she would keep glancing over her shoulder in the guise of tossing back her long hair, while really checking on her husband and father and babies.

Not too far from them, Keith’s daughter Claire, clad in her sparkliest and pinkest tutu, played a board game with Allura’s son, Alfor, and Hunk and Shay’s older two hatchlings. Meanwhile, Hunk had his toddler on his hip, bringing a plate full of food over as he sat down beside Shiro, the two beginning a conversation about Hunk’s latest project.

Kolivan—who had begun the evening looking awkward and keeping mostly to himself—was now engaged in conversation with Lance’s brothers and oldest nephew, telling them some story from his time with the Blade.

Keith’s gaze slid over to the other side of the room, where most of the women present were gathered. He smiled, listening to the coos and giggles of his mother-in-law, Allura, Romelle, Shay, Rachel, Colleen and Veronica.

Solanna, the reason for the gathering, was being passed around, currently in her Aubelita’s arms and being fawned over. Krolia had moved around quite a bit, too, always coming to stand guard behind whoever was holding her granddaughter at that present moment.

“She’s precious,” Allura said with a sigh.

“And fluffy!” Rachel said with a laugh as she gently brushed a finger over Solanna’s fuzzy purple ears.

“She’s like a warm stuffed animal,” Lance chuckled, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward in his chair. His fond smile seemed permanently fixed on his face, making up for the shadows under his eyes telling of the sleepless nights that came with a newborn baby in the house. “Now you know why I was reluctant to hand her over.”

“Yeah, Lance,” Veronica teased, ruffling her brother’s hair. “That’s the reason.”

Keith smiled. Solanna’s presence in their lives was a big step, and a huge change for everyone. He had his worries and his doubts, but they all seemed for naught. Especially since his biggest concerns were regarding himself.

Riley, Max, Theo, and Claire had all been well past the infant stage in their lives when their adoptions had been finalized. Riley had been twelve when Keith and Lance had first begun her adoption process, and then two years later Max, Theo and Claire had arrived as a package deal—Max being eleven, Theo eight, and Claire five. Adopting the three biological siblings out of foster care had been one of the best decisions they had ever made, and Max had the most vivid transformation in only a year.

When Keith first met Max, he saw only a younger, African-American version of himself when he was in foster care. Max was always ready for a fight, withdrawn, gave respect to no one, but was always ready to protect his siblings; he had more than once run away when he had been separated from Theo and Claire. Now he was much more open and relaxed now that he could just be a kid and let Keith and Lance worry about Theo and Claire.

The six made a cozy little family, and the kids didn’t mind that their grandmother was a Galra, or that Krolia fondly referred to them as ‘grandcubs’. It didn’t matter that Keith and Lance were former Paladins of Voltron, they were just Dad and Papi, or, as Theo preferred to call them, Daddy Keith and Papi Lance. They were happy. They were perfect.

And now they had one more to add to the mix, and it just felt so right.

All four of the kids were excited at the prospect of having a baby sibling, which had made both their fathers breathe a huge sigh of relief.  They hadn’t intended to bring a baby into the family; Keith had made it clear early on in his relationship with Lance that he didn’t exactly feel comfortable around really small kids, hence the adoption of older children. But he had known just as long that Lance wanted a baby at some point. So just as Keith was feeling ready to broach the topic with Lance, Kolivan made contact with him.

Meela, a young member of the Blade of Marmora, was pregnant; the baby’s father, another member of the Blade, had been killed on a mission, leaving Meela heartbroken. After admitting the pregnancy to Kolivan and having decided to put the child up for adoption, he put her in touch with Keith.

Before Keith really knew what he was doing, before he had even talked to Lance, he asked Meela if she would like him and Lance to adopt her child. The answer had been ‘yes’.

So, sitting in the living room, surrounded by family and friends and so much love, the only thing Keith had wished for was that Meela was still there. The young Galra had spent most of her pregnancy on Earth, and she had become part of the family as well. But as soon as she had been cleared by the Garrison medics after Solanna’s birth, she had left without a good-bye, but left a note that said that she knew her daughter would be well-cared for and loved, thanking everyone. The only other thing that she left behind was Solanna’s father’s Blade, to be given to her when she was old enough. Keith just wished that Meela was there, to see just how many people adored her daughter.

The moment they were allowed to see her, Riley, Max, Theo and Claire had fallen head over heels in love with Solanna and they always were ready to help, whether it be fixing a bottle or changing a diaper or just holding her for a few minutes. Solanna had that effect on people; Keith couldn’t tell if it was just her, or if all babies had this mystical power. Then, in a burst of fatherly pride that happened in a post-diaper-change cuddle session too late at night and too early in the morning, he realized it was one-hundred percent his daughter and he’d fight anyone who argued that she was not the most precious, most wonderful baby ever.

It hit Keith in that moment, that he was surrounded by family but could only claim blood relations with one person in this room. And even she had needed to be found at one point.

His big family… Every person in it had been found. Shiro, his mom, Lance, Hunk, Allura, Coran, Kolivan, each and every one of his kids…

When he was Theo’s age, Keith could never have possibly imagined having this much family. Having this many people to love. Having this many people love him. The young, orphaned Keith who picked fights and stole cars and kept his distance from everyone would never, ever, have possibly imagined that he could possibly be this happy.

“Daddy Keith?”

Keith blinked the tears out of his eyes, looking down at Theo, still curled up beside him.

“Daddy Keith, are you okay?” Theo asked, his big brown eyes full of concern. “You’re crying…”

Keith pulled Theo into his lap—even though Theo was starting to get too big for that, Keith didn’t care, this was his son and he’d always hold him close—and wrapped his arms around him. He pressed a kiss to the top of Theo’s curls as his son snuggled in.

“These are happy tears, Theo,” He whispered. “I’m better than okay. I’m so happy…”

This was the “the adoptions are finalized” happy. This was his wedding day happy. This was his first time in the simulator happy. This was his first time flying the Red Lion happy. This was they had won the war, bringing peace to the entire universe happy. This was every single moment of happiness in his life rolled into one and magnified by the millions.

After so long and nearly giving up, Keith had found his happiness.


End file.
